Camera remote control

ABSTRACT

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to control a camera from a wearable mechanism device, such as a watch, pendant or other device with its own limited display. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a wearable mechanism device for remotely controlling a camera with an intuitive user interface and sequencing of interface options. In one embodiment, the display on the wearable mechanism changes before a picture or video is taken with the electronic camera. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to partially control a camera from the wearable mechanism device, providing split control.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/842,597, entitled “Camera Remote Control,” filed Sep. 1, 2015, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.62/044,938, entitled “Camera Remote Control,” filed Sep. 2, 2014, theentire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following portion of this disclosure presents a simplified summaryof one or more innovations, embodiments, and/or examples found withinthis disclosure for at least the purpose of providing a basicunderstanding of the subject matter. This summary does not attempt toprovide an extensive overview of any particular embodiment or example.Additionally, this summary is not intended to identify key/criticalelements of an embodiment or example or to delineate the scope of thesubject matter of this disclosure. Accordingly, this summary presentssome innovations, embodiments, and/or examples found within thisdisclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detaileddescription presented later.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the ability tocontrol a camera from a wearable mechanism, such as a watch, pendant orother device with its own limited display. The camera can be in anelectronic device, such as a cell phone, smart phone, web cam, dedicatedcamera, a tablet computing device; a portable media player; alaptop/notebook computer, personal digital assistant, touch screen,input-sensitive pad or surface or any other portable or non-portabledevice.

For situations where the wearable mechanism is in the picture, thedisplay on the wearable mechanism changes before a picture or video istaken with the camera, to control the appearance of the wearablemechanism in the photo or video. For example, the display can changefrom a remote control display to a blank display, the display of a watchface, a decorative display or other display.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a wearablemechanism for remotely controlling a camera with an intuitive userinterface and sequencing of interface options. In one embodiment, acamera application is launched on an electronic device upon selection ofa camera icon on a wearable mechanism display. If successful, thewearable mechanism display provides a preview screen and a shutterbutton, as well as an icon for activating a timer. Various successivedisplays, depending on user selection, are intuitive and provide an easyreturn to a home screen.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the ability topartially control a camera from a wearable mechanism device, such as awatch, pendant or other device with its own limited display. In oneembodiment, at least one user input-output (I/O) function is performedon the camera itself, while another user input-output function isperformed on the wearable mechanism device. User 1/O functions includeany input provided by a user, and any output provided to the user. Forexample, inputs include the user activating any button or soft key on adisplay, or any audio or gesture input. Outputs include visual displays,audio, haptic and any other feedback or output to the user. In oneembodiment, the user can look at the preview on the display of thewearable mechanism device using one arm, while moving the camera held inthe hand of the other arm. The hand holding the camera can alsooptionally activate the shutter button on the camera, eliminating theneed to do this on the wearable mechanism.

To better understand the nature and advantages of various embodiments ofthe present invention, reference should be made to the followingdescription and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood,however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose ofillustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits ofthe scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a perspective view of a wearable mechanismaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example schematic diagram of a wearablemechanism.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an embodiment of a user wearing a wearablemechanism with a second electronic device in his pocket.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating methods of using a wearable mechanismaccording to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating wearable mechanism and electronicdevice screens during a connection operation according to variousembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating wearable mechanism device screensduring a timer operation according to various embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a wearable mechanism device screen foran unsupported action according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a wearable mechanism device screen foractivating a timer according to an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the hardware and associated software of awearable mechanism device according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating communication between a wearablemechanism device and a electronic device according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for changing a wearabledevice display during a timer countdown according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method for splitting userinput-outputs between a wearable mechanism and an electronic deviceaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a series of screentransitions during and following a connection process between a wearablemechanism and an electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments of the present invention relate a wearable devicehaving a user interface that allows it to interact with other electronicdevices during image capture using a camera in the electronic device.The wearable device or mechanism can be any electronic mechanism, suchas a watch, pendant or other device which can be worn and has its owndisplay. The camera can be in any electronic device, such as a cellphone, smart phone, web cam, dedicated camera, or any other portable ornon-portable device.

Embodiments described herein may take the form of, be incorporated in,or operate with a suitable electronic device. One example of such adevice is shown in FIG. 1 and takes the form of a wearable electronicmechanism 10. As shown, mechanism 10 may be worn on a user's wrist andsecured thereto by a band 12. Mechanism 10 may have a variety offunctions including, but not limited to: keeping time; monitoring auser's physiological signals and providing health-related informationbased on those signals; communicating (in a wired or wireless fashion)with other electronic devices, which may be different types of deviceshaving different functionalities; providing alerts to a user, which mayinclude audio, haptic, visual and/or other sensory output, any or all ofwhich may be synchronized with one another; visually depicting data on adisplay; gather data form one or more sensors that may be used toinitiate, control, or modify operations of the device; determine alocation of a touch on a surface of the device and/or an amount of forceexerted on the device, and use either or both as input; accepting voiceinput to control one or more functions; accepting tactile input tocontrol one or more functions; and so on.

Alternative embodiments of suitable electronic devices include a phone;a tablet computing device; a portable media player: and so on. Stillother suitable electronic devices may include laptop/notebook computers,personal digital assistants, touch screens, input-sensitive pads orsurfaces, and so on.

FIG. 2 depicts an example schematic diagram of a wearable electronicdevice 100, which in some instances can be mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 1.As shown in FIG. 2, the device 100 includes one or more processing units161 that are configured to access a memory 162 having instructionsstored thereon. The instructions or computer programs may be configuredto perform one or more of the operations or functions described withrespect to the device 100. For example, the instructions may beconfigured to control or coordinate the operation of the variouscomponents of the device. Such components include, but are not limitedto, display 102, one or more input/output components 163, one or morecommunication channels 164, one or more sensors 165, a speaker 106,microphone 107, and/or one or more haptic feedback devices 166. In someembodiments the speaker and microphone may be combined into a singleunit and/or may share a common port through a housing of the device.

The processing units 116 of FIG. 2 may be implemented as any electronicdevice capable of processing, receiving, or transmitting data orinstructions. For example, the processing units 116 may include one ormore of a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signalprocessor (DSP), or combinations of such devices. As described herein,the term “processor” is meant to encompass a single processor orprocessing unit, multiple processors, multiple processing units, orother suitably configured computing element or elements.

In some embodiments the electronic device may accept a variety of bands,straps, or other retention mechanisms (collectively, “bands”). Thesebands may be removably connected to the electronic device by a lug thatis accepted in a recess or other aperture within the device and locksthereto. The lug may be part of the band or may be separable (and/orseparate) from the band. Generally, the lug may lock into the electronicdevice's recess and thereby maintain connection between the band anddevice. The user may release a locking mechanism to permit the lug toslide or otherwise move out of the recess. In some embodiments, therecess may be formed in the band and the lug may be affixed orincorporated into the device.

A user may change combinations of bands and electronic devices, therebypermitting mixing and matching of the two categories. It should beappreciated that devices having other forms and/or functions may includesimilar recesses and may releasably mate with a lug and/or bandincorporating a lug. In this fashion, an ecosystem of bands and devicesmay be envisioned, each of which is compatible with another. A singleband may be used to connect to devices, as one further example; in suchembodiments the band may include electrical interconnections that permitthe two devices to transmit signals to one another and thereby interactwith one another.

In many embodiments, the electronic device may keep and display time,essentially functioning as a wristwatch among other things. Time may bedisplayed in an analog or digital format, depending on the device, itssettings, and (in some cases) a user's preferences. Typically, time isdisplayed on a digital display stack forming part of the exterior of thedevice.

The display stack may include a cover element, such as a cover glass,overlying a display. The cover glass need not necessarily be formed fromglass, although that is an option: it may be formed from sapphire,zirconia, alumina, chemically strengthened glass, hardened plastic andso on. Likewise, the display may be a liquid crystal display, an organiclight-emitting diode display, or any other suitable display technology.Among other elements, the display stack may include a backlight in someembodiments.

The device also may comprise one or more touch sensors to determine alocation of a touch on the cover glass. A touch sensor may beincorporated into or on the display stack in order to determine alocation of a touch. The touch sensor may be self-capacitive in certainembodiments, mutual-capacitive in others, or a combination thereof.

Similarly, the device may include a force sensor to determine an amountof force applied to the cover glass. The force sensor may be acapacitive sensor in some embodiments and a strain sensor in otherembodiments. In either embodiment, the force sensor is generallytransparent and made form transparent materials, or is located beneathor away from the display in order not to interfere with the view of thedisplay. The force sensor may, for example, take the form of twocapacitive plates separated by silicone or another deformable material.As the capacitive plates move closer together under an external force,the change in capacitance may be measured and a value of the externalforce correlated from the capacitance change. Further, by comparingrelative capacitance changes from multiple points on the force sensor,or from multiple force sensors, a location or locations at which forceis exerted may be determined. In one embodiment the force sensor maytake the form of a gasket extending beneath the periphery of thedisplay. The gasket may be segmented or unitary, depending on theembodiment.

The electronic device may also provide alerts to a user. An alert may begenerated in response to: a change in status of the device (one exampleof which is power running low); receipt of information by the device(such as receiving a message): communications between the device andanother mechanism/device (such as a second type of device informing thedevice that a message is waiting or communication is in progress); anoperational state of an application (such as, as part of a game, or whena calendar appointment is imminent) or the operating system (such aswhen the device powers on or shuts down): and so on. The number andtypes of triggers for an alert are various and far-ranging.

The alert may be auditory, visual, haptic, or a combination thereof. Ahaptic actuator may be housed within the device and may move linearly togenerate haptic output (although in alternative embodiments the hapticactuator may be rotary or any other type). A speaker may provideauditory components of an alert and the aforementioned display mayprovide visual alert components. In some embodiments a dedicated light,display, or other visual output component may be used as part of analert.

The auditory, haptic and/or visual components of the alert may besynchronized to provide an overall experience to a user. One or morecomponents may be delayed relative to other components to create adesired synchronization between them. The components may be synchronizedso that they are perceived substantially simultaneously; as one example,a haptic output may be initiated slightly before an auditory outputsince the haptic output may take longer to be perceived than the audio.As another example, a haptic output (or portion thereof) may beinitiated substantially before the auditory output but at a weak or evensubliminal level, thereby priming the wearer to receive the auditoryoutput.

The example electronic device may communicate with other electronicdevices either through a wired connection or wirelessly. Data may bepassed between devices, permitting one device to relay information toanother; control another; employ another's sensors, outputs, and/orinputs; and so on. FIG. 3 depicts a user 210 wearing a sample electronicdevice 100 with a second electronic device 130 in his pocket. Data maybe wirelessly transmitted between the electronic devices 100, 130,thereby permitting the user 210 to receive, view, and interact with datafrom the second device 130 by means of the first electronic device 100.Thus, the user 210 may have access to part or all of the second device'sfunctionality through the first electronic device 100 without actuallyneeding to interact directly with the second device.

Further, the electronic devices 100, 130 may cooperate not only to sharedata but to share functionality as well. For example, one of the twodevices may incorporate a sensor, application, or function that theother lacks. The electronic device lacking such capabilities may requestthem from the other device, which may share wirelessly with therequesting device. Thus, multiple devices may operate together toprovide expanded functions, software, access and the like between thetwo and ultimately to a user. As one non-limiting example, theelectronic device 100 may be unable to place or receive telephone callswhile the second device 130 may be able to do so. A user may nonethelessmake and/or receive calls through the first device 100, which may employthe second device 130 to actually place or accept a call.

As another non-limiting example, an electronic device 100 may wirelesslycommunicate with a sales terminal nearby, thus permitting a user toquickly and efficiently conduct a transaction such as selling, buying,or returning a good. The electronic device may use near fieldcommunications technology to perform these and other functions.

As mentioned above, a band may be connected to two electronic devicesand may serve as a wired communication path between the two. As anotherexample, the devices may communicate wirelessly, thereby permitting onedevice to relay information from a second to a user. This latter examplemay be particularly useful when the second is inaccessible.

Certain embodiments may incorporate one or more biometric sensors tomeasure certain physiological characteristics of a user. The device mayinclude a photoplesymogram sensor to determine a user's heart rate orblood oxygenation levels, for example. The device may also or insteadinclude electrodes to measure the body impedance of a user, which maypermit the device to estimate body fat percentages, the body'selectrical activity, body impedance, and so on. Also include bloodpressure, ultraviolet exposure, etc., Depending on the sensorsincorporated into or associated with the electronic device, a variety ofuser characteristics may be measured and/or estimated, therebypermitting different health information to be provided to a user.

Certain embodiments may be wirelessly charged. For example, an inductivecharging base may transmit power to an inductive receiver within thedevice in order to charge a battery of the device. Further, by varyingthe inductive field between the device and base, data may becommunicated between the two. As one simple non-limiting example, thismay be used to wake the base from a low-power sleep state to an activecharging state when the device is placed on the base. Other wirelesscharging systems also may be used (e.g., near field magnetic resonanceand radio frequency). Alternatively, the device also may employ wiredcharging through electrodes.

In certain embodiments, the device may include a rotary input, which maytake the form of a crown with a stem. The crown and stem may be rotatedto provide the rotary input. Rotation of the stem and/or crown may besensed optically, electrically, magnetically, or mechanically. Further,in some embodiments the crown and stem may also move laterally, therebyproviding a second type of input to the device.

The electronic device may likewise include one or more buttons. Thebutton(s) may be depressed to provide yet another input to the device.In various embodiments, the button may be a dome switch, rocker switch,electrical contact, magnetic switch, and so on. In some embodiments thebutton may be waterproof or otherwise sealed against the environment.

Various embodiments may include or otherwise incorporate one or moremotion sensors. A motion sensor may detect motion of the device andprovide, modify, cease, or otherwise affect a state, output, or input ofthe device or associated applications based on the motion. Asnon-limiting examples, a motion may be used to silence the device oracknowledge an alert generated by the device. Sample motion sensorsinclude accelerometers, gyroscopic sensors, magnetometers, GPS sensors,distance sensors, and so on. Some embodiments may use a GPS sensor tofacilitate or enable location and/or navigation assistance.

As shown in FIG. 2, the device 100 may also include one or more acousticelements, including a speaker 106 and/or a microphone 107. The speaker106 may include drive electronics or circuitry and may be configured toproduce an audible sound or acoustic signal in response to a command orinput. Similarly, the microphone 107 may also include drive electronicsor circuitry and is configured to receive an audible sound or acousticsignal in response to a command or input. The speaker 106 and themicrophone 107 may be acoustically coupled to port or opening in thecase that allows acoustic energy to pass, but may prevent the ingress ofliquid and other debris.

Certain embodiments may incorporate an ambient light sensor. The ambientlight sensor may permit the device to sense a brightness of itsenvironment and adjust certain operational parameters accordingly. Forexample, the electronic device may modify a brightness of a display inresponse to the sensed ambient light. As another example, the electronicdevice may turn the display off if little or no light is sensed for aperiod of time.

These and other functions, operations, and abilities of the electronicdevice will be apparent upon reading the specification in its entirety.

Split I/O Functions Between Wearable Mechanism and Electronic Device

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating certain methods of using a wearablemechanism with an electronic device according to certain embodiments ofthe present invention. A user 402 is wearing wearable mechanism 404attached to their wrist. User 402 is also holding an electronic device406. In this example electronic device 406 is a portable device such asa cell phone or smart phone including a camera. User 402 is able to holdportable device 406 high above a crowd 408 at a concert for a musicalgroup 410. Using smart phone 406 directly can be problematic because ofthe need to be able to see the preview screen on smart phone 406, whichrequires holding it at an angle or not as high as desired, as well asbeing awkward. Using embodiments of the present invention, user 402 canlook at a camera preview transmitted/streamed in real-time from smartphone 406 to wearable mechanism 404 and displayed on a display 412 ofwearable mechanism 404.

In addition to providing the preview or viewing function between thecamera of an electronic device and a wearable mechanism, the presentinvention also allows divided I/O control. In one embodiment, user 402can view the preview on screen 412 and move smart phone 406 with herother hand to get the desired view. Once the desired view is achieved,user 402 can use her right hand to press the shutter button on smartphone 406 while still being able to look at the preview on screen 412 ofwearable mechanism 404.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of this method. Acontrol interface for an electronic device camera is provided on adisplay of a wearable device (1202). A streaming preview is providedfrom the electronic device to the wearable device (1204). A first user1/O, such as providing the image preview display, is provided on thewearable device (1206). A second user I/O, such as activating theshutter button, is provided on the electronic device (1208). At leastone captured image from the camera of the electronic device is providedto the wearable device (1210) and is stored on the wearable device(1212).

Display Screen Sequencing

An intuitive sequencing of simplified displays enhances the userexperience. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating wearable mechanism andelectronic device screens during a connection operation according tovarious embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flow chartshowing illustrating one embodiment of this method. An electronic device502 is shown with the display screen 504. A wearable mechanism 506includes a display 508. A home display shows a group or carousel oficons, including a camera icon 510 (see FIG. 13, 1302). A user canselect camera icon 510 by touching it on display 508, or alternatelyscrolling through the icons using a crown or dial 512. The selection ofcamera icon 510 initiates communication with electronic device 502 via awireless link 514 (see FIG. 13, 1304).

Electronic device 502 will have been previously paired with wearablemechanism 506. Such a pairing or handshake operation checks to determinethat both electronic device and wearable mechanism are registered to thesame user, as described in more detail below. The selection of thecamera icon 510 causes a communication control signal to be sent toelectronic device 502 to initiate the camera application, regardless ofthe mode in which electronic device 502 is currently in. In particular,where electronic device 502 is a smart phone, such as an iPhone, mobiledigital device from Apple Computer, the camera application can bebrought up regardless of whether the smart phone is in the SpringBoardmode (dashboard), another application, or the lock screen. During thisconnection operation, wearable mechanism 506 displays a connectingscreen 515 with a changing icon 516 to indicate a connection in process(FIG. 13, 1304). The icon can take the form of a rotating ring, abrightening and dimming light, or any other movement or change.

If a connection is not made within a timeout period (FIG. 13, 1306), anindication of “no connection” screen 517 is displayed, including ashutter button display icon 518 (FIG. 13, 1308). A failure to connectcan occur for any number of reasons, such as the device being out ofrange, or being powered off, etc. Pressing button 512 returns thedisplay to the original carousel of icons display 508 (FIG. 13, 1310).

If a connection is made (FIG. 13, 1306), a display 520 is provided whichcorresponds to a preview display 522 on electronic device 502 from acamera view upon activation of the application (FIG. 13, 1312). Display520 is a smaller form factor version of display 522. Also, foroptimizing due to bandwidth limitations of the wireless connection,display 520 is a video at the resolution of the wearable mechanismpreview display and may, for example, be running at a maximum of 30frames per second. This can be less than the resolution of the video ofdisplay 522 of electronic device 502, and may be a lower frame rate, butis sufficient for a preview mode on a smaller display.

In one embodiment, the user selects a mode in the camera application onthe electronic device (e.g., photo, video, etc.). The use can alsoselect the front or back camera mode on the electronic device. Thedesignation of such controls on the electronic device allows asimplified and more intuitive interface on the wearable mechanism.However, alternately, the modes can be controlled from the wearablemechanism via any type of input (touch, voice command, etc.).

If the electronic preview screen is rotated, the wearable mechanismpreview display will similarly rotate. In various embodiments, therotation can be trigged by the display of the electronic devicerotating, or by the housing of the electronic device being rotated,regardless of the orientation of the electronic device preview display.

Once the picture has been taken (FIG. 13, 1314), the display returns tothe preview mode shown in display 520, which includes a photo icon 524for the photo just taken (FIG. 13, 1316). Selecting icon 524 can pull upthe photo or video for review, and also allow for review of previousphotos and videos. The camera in the electronic device stores thephoto/video, and also sends a reduced size, compressed version to thewearable mechanism.

Various other control functions can be provided. For example, the crowninput or another input can be used to un-launch the camera application.Also, upon closing the camera function on the wearable mechanism, suchas by returning to the home screen, the camera application on theelectronic device can also be closed. In one embodiment, the electronicdevice is a camera, not a smart phone or tablet, in which case it is notclosed or turned off unless the user affirmatively selects that functionon the wearable mechanism or the camera.

Timer Operation Screens

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating wearable mechanism device screensduring a timer operation according to various embodiments of the presentinvention. FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating this method according toone embodiment of the present invention. A display 602 shows a shuttericon 604 as well as two timer options 606 and 608 for 3 and 10 seconds,respectively (see also FIG. 11, 1102). Display 602 can alternately usedifferent icons, different number of timer options, etc. Upon selectionof the desired countdown time, a display 610 will appear showing thepreview screen along with a shutter icon 612. The shutter activationsignal and countdown signal are sent to the electronic device (FIG. 11,1104, 1105). In some embodiments, the timer option can be provided onthe preview screen as indicated on display 611, which includes a singletimer option 613 for a 3 second countdown. Using display 611, shuttericon 612 can be selected to capture an image without the countdownfeature or timer icon 613 can be selected to capture an image using thecountdown feature.

When the countdown feature is used and the timer approaches to within afew seconds (e.g., two seconds) of taking the picture (FIG. 11, 1106), adisplay 614 indicates this with a flashing icon 616 (FIG. 11, 1108,1110). Alternately, icon 616 can enlarge and contract at varying speeds,change color, or make any other visual change. In addition, a uniquetimer sound will be generated. In one embodiment, a timer beeping soundis generated, with the frequency increasing as it gets close to the endof the countdown. In addition, the wearable mechanism can provide hapticfeedback, such as a vibration, to the wrist of the user. The vibrationcan also vary in frequency as the end of the time-out period approaches.

Before the shutter of the electronic camera is activated, a displayscreen 618 which is blank can be displayed. This will prevent theappearance of the light of the display on the wrist of a user in aselfie or group shot in which the user appears. Alternately, a display620 can be produced which shows a clock face or other decorative designon the display. Once the picture has been taken, the display returns tothe preview mode shown in display 622, which includes a photo icon 624for the photo just taken. Selecting icon 624 can pull up the photo orvideo for review, and also allow for review of previous photos andvideos.

Selection of photo icon 624 can bring up the recently taken photo orvideo, and also the recent photos folder. Alternately, selection of therecent photo on the electronic device can bring up the same photo on thewearable mechanism. The selection of any stored photo or video by anymeans on the electronic device can bring it up on the wearable mechanismdisplay as well.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a wearable mechanism device screen foran unsupported action according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. A screen 704 indicates that the device is not ready for anynumber of reasons. Also, a shutter icon 706 is displayed. Pressingshutter icon 706 will return to the home display with the carousel ofselectable icons.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a wearable mechanism device screen foractivating a timer according to an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention. A display screen 802 illustrates a preview mode with a timericon 804. Thus, instead of tapping on the screen as in the previousembodiment to bring up the electronic timer screen, the user can selectthe timer icon. In one example, the timer icon is tapped while inanother embodiment the timer icon may be pressed and slid to anotherposition to activate the timer display 806. Display 806 is similar todisplay 602 in FIG. 6 as discussed above.

Additional control functions can be split between wearable mechanism andelectronic device. For example, focusing can be done on either theelectronic device or the wearable mechanism. On the wearable mechanism,the user can press a spot on the preview screen and hold it to set thatspot as a point of focus. The wearable mechanism will identify thecoordinates of the selected spot on the image, and transmit thatinformation to the electronic device. Alternately, either touch, voice,or crown control inputs could be used for a variety of controls. Forexample, special effects can be selected, the exposure can be changed,photo versus video or other modes can be selected, choosing betweenfront and back facing camera can be selected, or any other control canbe selected or varied. Other potential controls on the wearablemechanism include a camera orientation, flash mode, HDR (High DynamicRange) mode, video capture frame rate, camera mode (square, normal,video, slow motion video, etc), zoom and crop controls, aspect ratioselection, etc.

In one embodiment, the wearable mechanism communicates solely with thebuilt in camera application on the electronic device. Alternately, anAPI can be made available for third party applications to be used by thewearable device to control the electronic device camera, such asFacebook and Instagram.

Upon the establishment of a communication link between the wearablemechanism and the electronic device, certain camera actions cause dataand control signals to be sent from the electronic device to thewearable mechanism by the software on the electronic device. Suchsoftware can, for example, be an IOS (operating system) update whichenables legacy smart phones to communicate with the wearable mechanism.Upon a shutter click, whether the control comes from the smart phone orthe wearable mechanism, a copy of the photo or video is automaticallysent to the wearable mechanism.

When a photo or video is sent to the wearable mechanism, it is firstcompressed using H264 or JPEG or any other compression protocol. Thewearable mechanism decompresses the received photo or video.

Wearable Mechanism Block Diagram

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing components of a wearable mechanismdevice 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Device900 can include a display 901, a touch input 902, a mechanical (crown)input 903, a processing subsystem 904, a storage subsystem 906, a hapticactuator 908, and a data and communication interface 912.

User touch input 902 can incorporate hardware and software componentsthat facilitate user interaction with device 900. Such components can beof generally conventional or other designs. For example, in someembodiments, user touch input 902 can include a touch-screen interfacethat incorporates a display (e.g., LED-based, LCD-based. OLED-based, orthe like) with a touch-sensitive overlay (e.g., capacitive or resistive)that can detect contact by a user's finger and/or other objects. Bytouching particular areas of the screen, the user can indicate actionsto be taken, respond to visual prompts from the device, etc. In additionor instead, user touch input 902 can include audio components (e.g.,speakers, microphone): buttons; knobs; dials; haptic input or outputdevices; and so on.

Processing subsystem 904, which can be implemented using one or moreintegrated circuits of generally conventional or other designs (e.g., aprogrammable microcontroller or microprocessor with one or more cores),can be the primary processing subsystem of device 900. Storage subsystem906 can be implemented using memory circuits (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, ROM,flash memory, or the like) or other computer-readable storage media andcan store program instructions for execution by processing subsystem 904as well as data generated by or supplied to device 900 in the course ofits operations, such as user-specific parameters. In operation,processing subsystem 904 can execute program instructions stored bystorage subsystem 906 to control operation of device 900. For example,processing subsystem 904 can execute an operating system as well asvarious application programs specific to particular tasks (e.g.,displaying the time, presenting information to the user, obtaininginformation from the user, communicating with a paired device, etc.). Itis to be understood that processing subsystem 904 can execute anyprocessing tasks desired.

A haptic actuator 908 is also shown. In various embodiments, hapticactuator 908 is activated by processing subsystem 904 to providefeedback to the user. In one embodiment, haptic actuator 908 outputs aforce (e.g, a vibration) to provide a haptic sensation to a user. Theactuator can include a piezo-electric actuator, a voice coil actuator, apager motor, a solenoid, or other type of actuator.

Data and communication interface 912 can allow device 900 to communicatewith other devices via wired and/or wireless communication channels. Forexample, data and communication interface 912 can include an RFtransceiver and associated protocol stack implementing one or morewireless communication standards (e.g., Bluetooth standards; IEEE 802.11family standards; cellular data network standards such as 3G, LTE:cellular voice standards, etc.). In addition or instead, data andcommunication interface 912 can include a wired communication interfacesuch as a receptacle connector (e.g., supporting USB, UART, Ethernet, orother wired communication protocols). In some embodiments, data andcommunication interface 912 can allow device 900 to be paired withanother personal electronic device of the user (also referred to as the“electronic” device), such as a mobile phone, laptop or desktopcomputer, tablet computer, or the like. Via data and communicationinterface 912, device 900 can provide commands and data to theelectronic device.

It will be appreciated that device 900 is illustrative and thatvariations and modifications are possible. Embodiments of device 900 caninclude other components in addition to or instead of those shown. Forexample, device 900 can include a power source (e.g., a battery) andpower distribution and/or power management components. Device 900 cansensors 910, such as a compass, a thermometer or other externaltemperature sensor, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or thelike to determine absolute location, camera to capture images, biometricsensors (e.g., blood pressure sensor, skin conductance sensor, skintemperature sensor), and so on.

Further, while device 900 described with reference to particular blocks,it is to be understood that these blocks are defined for convenience ofdescription and are not intended to imply a particular physicalarrangement of component parts. Further, the blocks need not correspondto physically distinct components, and the same physical components canbe used to implement aspects of multiple blocks. Blocks can beconfigured to perform various operations, e.g., by programming aprocessor or providing appropriate control circuitry, and various blocksmight or might not be reconfigurable depending on how the initialconfiguration is obtained. Embodiments of the present invention can berealized in a variety of apparatus including electronic devicesimplemented using any combination of circuitry and software.

Communication Between Wearable Mechanism and Electronic Device

The communication of data from a device (e.g., electronic device 502)can occur through various protocols (e.g., 802.11 protocols, Bluetoothprotocols, and near field communication (NFC) protocols). To determinewhich protocol to use, a device can include a link manager fordetermining which protocol to use for a particular application, and thuswhich driver path data should be sent. A lower level link layer can alsoperform selections of a particular protocol to use. Further, a usertunnel (UTUN) controller can coordinate a plurality of virtualconnections with various client applications to communicate over acommon socket connection with another device.

FIG. 10 shows a protocol stack 1000 for communicating data according toembodiments of the present invention. Various modules in protocol stack1000 can be omitted, or other modules added. The software modules can berun on a same processor or different processors. Although only a fewcommunication protocols are listed, numerous wireless protocols can beused. For example, Bluetooth protocols can include Basic Rate (BR),Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), and Low Energy (LE) options. Bluetooth BR/EDRis also referred to as Classic Bluetooth, and is used in one embodiment.

In some embodiments, a client application 1005 on the device (e.g.,electronic device 502) can request data to be sent to another device(e.g., wearable mechanism device 506). The request can specify the otherdevice via any suitable identifier, e.g., an account name, an IPaddress, a MAC address, etc. The request can be before or after thedevice determines that the other device is within communication, e.g.,as determined by initial signaling, such as a handshake. The data (e.g.,in a message or a stream) can be sent any suitable application layerprotocol, such as HTTP, RTP, SMTP, MGCP, etc. The other device can beany device, including another device of the user. The request can madebe in response to an action by the user, an internal event (e.g., basedon time or other criteria) that may be in a same or other application(e.g., a calendar app), or an external event (e.g., in response to amessage from another device). An example of an event is a syncing event.

Before sending data, client application 1005 can submit an open socketrequest (e.g., in a streaming example). The socket request can useinformation from an identity services (IDS) framework 1015, which canprovide an address (or other type of ID) for the other device. Forexample, client application 1005 can know account information for thesecond device (e.g., account information of a different or same user),and IDS framework 1015 can store a list of device IDs for a particularaccount. IDS framework 1015 can be in communication external identitymanagement infrastructure to obtain the list. Thus, IDS framework 1015can store or otherwise obtain device IDs (e.g., addresses) for alldevices that a user has registered with the identity managementinfrastructure. For example, IDS framework 1015 can request via an IDSdaemon to identity management infrastructure to obtain the device IDs.In one implementation, the socket request can be made to kernel 1010.

In a messaging example, the request to send data can go to IDS framework1015 to obtain a device ID, which can be sent to message a messagecontroller 1020 and a user tunnel (UTUN) controller 1025. UTUNcontroller 1025 can establish a mapping between the device ID and an IPaddress (e.g., a virtual IP address) when the device ID is not an IPaddress. A socket can be created between message controller 1020 (whichassigns a device ID to the socket) and kernel 1010 (which can assigns anaddress to the socket, such as a virtual IP address). UTUN controller1020 can be used to create the socket connection between messagecontroller 1020 and kernel 1010. In this manner, the send-date requestfrom client application 1005 does not need to include a device ID, butcan specify an account, which can then be cross-referenced by IDSframework 1015 with known devices of the account and their capabilities(e.g., if the request requires certain capabilities). Given that adevice ID can be obtained, a pairing does not need to occur prior tocreating the socket.

In various embodiments, IDS framework 1015 can receive a particularport/service at the other device from client application 1005, determinethe port/service based on information obtained from identity managementinfrastructure, or determine the port/service from a token sent in therequest. IDS framework 1015 can then communicate a device ID and otherheader information to message controller 1020 and/or UTUN controller1025. IDS framework 1015 and UTUN controller 1025 can communicate viacross process communication (XPC). UTUN controller 1025 can be part ofan IDS daemon, and can receive a device ID from identity managementinfrastructure.

As mentioned above, UTUN controller 1025 can create a virtual addressthat corresponds to the actual device address, where the virtual addresscan be used to create a virtual socket. A virtual socket can also becreated using any device ID (e.g., an actual address of a device orother ID). As an example, a socket can be created for communicationbetween client application 1005 and kernel 1010 (e.g., in a streamingcontext), where kernel 1010 can have various sockets open with variousclient applications. Kernel 1010 can have a single connection to UTUNcontroller 1025 for the other device and multiplex (mux) the data fromvarious client applications into the single connection. Instead or inaddition, UTUN controller 1025 can also perform the muxing, e.g., ifmultiple sockets exist between the kernel 1010 and UTUN controller 1025for various client applications to the other device. Incoming data canbe demultiplexed (demuxed) for sending to the destination clientapplication.

As another example, a socket can be created between kernel 1010 andmessage controller 1020 (e.g., in a messaging context), where a socketcan be created for each destination device, with different sockets to asame device potentially having different priorities. Thus, a particularvirtual socket can be associated with a particular device and aparticular priority (e.g., high and low). Message controller 1020 canhave various connections to various client applications. Thus, messagecontroller 1020 can provide mux/demux capabilities.

UTUN controller can create a primary socket with the other device. WhenUTUN controller 1025 receives data using a virtual connection associatedwith the second device, it can then map the virtual connection to theprimary socket for communicating with the other device. All data for theother device can then be sent out through the primary socket. Thevirtual address for a virtual socket can be passed back to clientapplication 1015, e.g., in the stream context. In one embodiment, avirtual socket involving kernel 1010 is a TCP socket. The virtualaddress can have a same format as a regular address, e.g., an IPv6address. A mux module can include any combination of kernel 1010,message controller 1020, and UTUN controller 1025.

When client application 1005 sends data, client application 1005 can usethe virtual socket to send data to kernel 1010. For example, the datacan be sent using TCP via the virtual socket. Kernel 1010 can implementan UTUN interface for communicating with UTUN controller 1025. Kernel1010 would pass the data (e.g., with a TCP header) and the virtualsocket identifying the virtual address to UTUN controller 1025, whichwould then use the virtual address to resolve the device address fordetermining the device socket.

When sending to the data over the device socket, a link manager 1030 candetermine which link to use. A link can be a particular combination of awireless interface protocol (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), a transportprotocol (e.g., TCP, UDP, etc.), and a destination device. In thismanner, UTUN controller 1025 does not need to know how the data is beingsent, but instead can simply send the data to link manager 1030.

In various embodiments, the determination by link manager 1030 can bemade per data packet, per set of data packets, per device socket, andmay change from one data packet to another. Link manager 1030 may thenselect a link for sending the data. In the example shown, a Wi-Fi link1035 provides software drivers for communicating with one or more Wi-Fiprotocols, and BLTE link 1040 provides software drivers forcommunicating with Bluetooth LE. Wi-Fi link 1035 is in communicationwith Wi-Fi hardware 1070, and BLTE link 1040 is in communication withBTLE hardware 1065. Wi-Fi link 1035 can be used for various Wi-Fiprotocols, such as infra-WiFi (infrastructure WiFi). In one embodiment,link manager 1030 can try all links to determine whether any of thelinks can contact the other device, and then use a connected link with ahighest predetermined rank or dynamic rank.

Hardware 1065-1070 can be in communication with links assigned tovarious devices. For example, links 1035, 1040, and 1045 can be assignedfor communication with a second device. In addition, other links thatare assigned for communication with a third device can also be incommunication with hardware 1065-1070. When a particular hardwarereceives data, software can identify a particular sending device andthen determine the corresponding link, e.g., using header information todetermine the link corresponding to the sending device and transportprotocol.

In some embodiments, a combined link 1045 can include an interface 1055for communicating with link manager 1030 and a selector 1050 thatselects a particular protocol to use. The protocols can be the same ordifferent from that available to link manager 1030. Selector 1050 canperform similar functions as link manager 1030 in that a particular linkis selected. However, link manager 1030 and selector 1050 can usedifferent criteria for determining which link to use. For example, linkmanager 1030 can determine to use combined link 1045, and selector 1050can then determine that BTLE hardware 1065 is to be used. The hardwarecan be contained on same or separate chips.

One or more protocols can be only available via combined link 1045, suchas classic Bluetooth hardware 1050. Link manager 1030 and selector 1050can use various criteria for determining which link to use, such aspower usage of a link, speed of a link (e.g., real-time data rate), andsignal strength of a link. A goal of the optimization for selecting alink can be to provide a minimal data rate at a lowest possible energy.

Other Elements

One or more processors in processing subsystem 904 run various softwarecomponents stored in medium storage 906 to perform various functions forthe wearable mechanism device. In some embodiments, the softwarecomponents include an operating system, communication module (or set ofinstructions), and other applications (or set of instructions). Theoperating system can be any suitable operating system, including iOS,Mac OS, Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX. OS X, WINDOWS, or an embeddedoperating system such as VxWorks. The operating system can includevarious procedures, sets of instructions, software components, and/ordrivers for controlling and managing general system tasks (e.g., memorymanagement, storage device control, power management, etc.) andfacilitates communication between various hardware and softwarecomponents.

Communication module 912 facilitates communication with other devicesover one or more external ports or via wireless circuitry and includesvarious software components for handling data received from wirelesscircuitry and/or external ports.

The wearable mechanism can include one or more applications, includingwithout limitation, a browser, address book, contact list, email,instant messaging, social networking, word processing, keyboardemulation, widgets, JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digitalrights management, voice recognition, voice replication, a music player(which plays back recorded music stored in one or more files, such asMP3 or AAC files), etc.

There may be other modules or sets of instructions (not shown), such asa graphics module, a time module, etc. For example, the graphics modulecan include various conventional software components for rendering,animating and displaying graphical objects (including without limitationtext, web pages, icons, digital images, animations, and the like) on adisplay surface. In another example, a timer module can be a softwaretimer. The timer module can also be implemented in hardware. The timemodule can maintain various timers for any number of events.

An I/O subsystem can be coupled to the display system, which can be atouch-sensitive display. The display displays visual output to the userin a GUI. The visual output can include text, graphics, video, and anycombination thereof. Some or all of the visual output can correspond touser-interface objects. A display can use LED (light emitting diode),LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, or LPD (light emitting polymerdisplay) technology, although other display technologies can be used inother embodiments.

In some embodiments, an I/O subsystem can include a display and userinput devices such as a keyboard, mouse, and/or trackpad. In someembodiments, the I/O subsystem can include a touch-sensitive display. Atouch-sensitive display can also accept input from the user based onhaptic and/or tactile contact. In some embodiments, a touch-sensitivedisplay forms a touch-sensitive surface that accepts user input. Thetouch-sensitive display/surface (along with any associated modulesand/or sets of instructions in storage 906) detects contact (and anymovement or release of the contact) on the touch-sensitive display andconverts the detected contact into interaction with user-interfaceobjects, such as one or more soft keys, that are displayed on the touchscreen when the contact occurs. In some embodiments, a point of contactbetween the touch-sensitive display and the user corresponds to one ormore digits of the user. The user can make contact with thetouch-sensitive display using any suitable object or appendage, such asa stylus, pen, finger, and so forth. A touch-sensitive display surfacecan detect contact and any movement or release thereof using anysuitable touch sensitivity technologies, including capacitive,resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well asother proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one ormore points of contact with the touch-sensitive display.

Further, the I/O subsystem can be coupled to one or more other physicalcontrol devices (not shown), such as pushbuttons, keys, switches, rockerbuttons, dials, slider switches, sticks, LEDs, etc., for controlling orperforming various functions, such as power control, speaker volumecontrol, ring tone loudness, keyboard input, scrolling, hold, menu,screen lock, clearing and ending communications and the like. In someembodiments, in addition to the touch screen, the wearable mechanismdevice can include a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivatingparticular functions. In some embodiments, the touchpad is atouch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, doesnot display visual output. The touchpad can be a touch-sensitive surfacethat is separate from the touch-sensitive display or an extension of thetouch-sensitive surface formed by the touch-sensitive display.

The foregoing description may make reference to specific examples of anwearable mechanism device (e.g., a wrist-worn device) and/or aelectronic device (e.g., a smart phone). It is to be understood thatthese examples are illustrative and not limiting; other devices can besubstituted and can implement similar functional blocks and/oralgorithms to perform operations described herein and/or otheroperations.

Embodiments of the present invention, e.g., in methods, apparatus,computer-readable media and the like, can be realized using anycombination of dedicated components and/or programmable processorsand/or other programmable devices. The various processes describedherein can be implemented on the same processor or different processorsin any combination. Where components are described as being configuredto perform certain operations, such configuration can be accomplished,e.g., by designing electronic circuits to perform the operation, byprogramming programmable electronic circuits (such as microprocessors)to perform the operation, or any combination thereof. Further, while theembodiments described above may make reference to specific hardware andsoftware components, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatdifferent combinations of hardware and/or software components may alsobe used and that particular operations described as being implemented inhardware might also be implemented in software or vice versa.

Computer programs incorporating various features of the presentinvention may be encoded and stored on various computer readable storagemedia; suitable media include magnetic disk or tape, optical storagemedia such as compact disk (CD) or DVD (digital versatile disk), flashmemory, and other non-transitory media. Computer readable media encodedwith the program code may be packaged with a compatible electronicdevice, or the program code may be provided separately from electronicdevices (e.g., via Internet download or as a separately packagedcomputer-readable storage medium).

Alternate controls can be used in embodiments of the invention. Insteadof a crown input, the wearable mechanism could have a bezel which isrotated, or a push-button, or any other type of mechanical input. Thus,although the invention has been described with respect to specificembodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended tocover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: establishing a wirelessconnection between a wearable device and an electronic device comprisinga camera: providing, on a display screen of the wearable device, a firstdisplay comprising a control interface for controlling the camera;receiving, at the display screen, a user selection of the controlinterface that identifies a request for the camera to capture an imageafter a time period; transmitting, to the electronic device, a timercontrol signal for the camera to provide a countdown time before animage capture event based at least in part on the user selection, thecountdown time based at least in part on the time period; monitoring thecountdown time; providing a countdown signal on the first display duringthe monitoring of the countdown time; in response to the countdown timereaching a threshold value, changing the first display on the displayscreen to a second display on the display screen; and in response toreceiving the image from the electronic device, changing the seconddisplay on the display screen back to the first display, the firstdisplay configured to include a thumbnail of the image.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the second display comprises a substantially blankscreen or an image of a watch face.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe first display further comprises a preview of the image viewed by thecamera.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control interfacecomprises a first control interface and is provided adjacent to a secondcontrol interface, and wherein the second control interface isconfigured to identify, upon selection, a request for the camera tocapture the image before the countdown time reaches the threshold value.5. The method of claim 1, wherein the countdown signal comprises atleast one of an audible sound, a visual effect, or a haptic effect. 6.The method of claim 5, wherein the visual effect comprises flashing thecontrol interface, enlarging and contracting the control interface, orchanging a color of the control interface.
 7. A wearable device,comprising: a wireless interface configured for communication with anelectronic device having a camera; a display screen; and a processor incommunication with the wireless interface and the display screen, theprocessor configured to: provide, on the display screen, a first displaycomprising a control interface for controlling the camera and a previewof an image viewed by the camera; receive, at the display screen, a userselection of the control interface that identifies a request for thecamera to capture the image after a time period; monitor a countdowntime of the electronic device; in response to the countdown timereaching a threshold amount of the time period, turn off light beingemitted from the display screen; and in response to receiving the imagefrom the electronic device, change the display screen back to the firstdisplay.
 8. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein turning off thelight being emitted from the display screen comprises providing asubstantially blank screen.
 9. The wearable device of claim 7, whereinthe user selection generates a timed shutter activation signal thatinstructs the camera to capture an image after a countdown periodcorresponding to the time period, and wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to provide a user feedback signal in response to thecountdown time reaching a threshold value prior to turning off the lightbeing emitted from the display screen.
 10. The wearable device of claim9, wherein a countdown signal provided while monitoring the countdowntime comprises at least one of an audible sound, a visual effect, or ahaptic effect.
 11. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the controlinterface is a first control interface, and wherein the first displayfurther comprises a second control interface provided adjacent to thefirst control interface.
 12. The wearable device of claim 11, whereinthe first control interface identifies the time period, and wherein thesecond control interface is configured for instructing the camera tocapture the image in response to selection of the second controlinterface.
 13. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the firstdisplay is further configured to include a thumbnail of the image atleast in response to receiving the image from the electronic device. 14.The wearable device of claim 13, wherein the thumbnail is providedadjacent to at least one of the first control interface or the secondcontrol interface.
 15. A computer-readable storage medium storingcomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor,configure the processor to perform operations comprising: providing, ona display screen of a wearable device, a first display comprising acontrol interface for controlling a camera of a user device and apreview of an image viewed by the camera; receiving, via the displayscreen, a user selection of the control interface that identifies arequest for the camera to capture the image after a time period; monitora countdown time of the user device; in response to the countdown timereaching a threshold amount of the time period, turning off light beingemitted from the display screen; and in response to receiving the imagefrom the user device, displaying a second display on the display screen.16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the firstdisplay further includes a shutter control icon that, when selected,generates a shutter activation signal that instructs the camera tocapture an image.
 17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15,wherein the threshold amount of the time period comprises an end of thetime period.
 18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17,wherein the image is received from the user device after the end of thetime period.
 19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15,wherein the second display includes a user-selectable icon that, uponbeing selected, instructs the wearable device to display the imagecaptured by the camera on the display screen.
 20. The computer-readablestorage medium of claim 19, wherein the user-selectable icon comprises athumbnail image of the image captured by the camera.